Staff Report /

**Two Stranded Dolphins Rescued and Released in Deeper Waters Near Pine Island, Florida**

Two dolphins have been successfully relocated to deeper waters after being discovered stranded in a shallow lagoon near Pine Island Creek, Florida. The rescue effort, which included a coalition of organizations, took place on December 11 after the dolphins were reported two days prior.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the dolphins were first observed on December 10. A team sent to investigate found two adult-sized dolphins in a lagoon measuring 1,300 by 495 feet, with depths of only a few feet at high tide. The dolphins were seen interacting with the body of a deceased calf. The lagoon, surrounded by shallow mangrove tunnels, was impassable for the dolphins under normal conditions. It remains unclear how long the animals had been trapped in the area.

In response, FWC reached out to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the federal agency overseeing marine mammals in U.S. waters, which determined the need to relocate the animals to safer, deeper waters. FWC then assembled a rescue team including members from Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP), Mote Marine Laboratory, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO).

On the morning of December 11, a team of approximately 25 people, aided by an LCSO helicopter crew, located and corralled the dolphins. By 9:30 a.m., the animals were secured in shallow waters and transferred onto a floating mat for medical assessments by the team’s veterinarian. Both dolphins, identified as adult females, were found to be slightly underweight. One dolphin, which SDRP had previously documented in 2003 in the nearby Pine Island Sound, had a healing laceration behind its blowhole and was treated with antibiotics.

Following the evaluation, the rescue team carefully navigated the dolphins through a shallow, muddy mangrove tunnel to reach deeper waters near the Charlotte Shores neighborhood. The dolphins, fitted with satellite-linked transmitters for post-release monitoring, were successfully released at approximately 11 a.m.

The SDRP, which played a key role in the rescue, will continue to track the dolphins' movements to ensure their survival.

Source: Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Source Type: Community

Source Location: Brookfield

Fort Myers, FL

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